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Mary Maxfield Obesity

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Historically, food was used primarily as a means to gain energy (Maxfield). Food today is designed to be cheap, fast and tasty. With these new traits, food has become more than just a survival tactic. Entrees and desserts have taken over family celebrations, weddings, graduations, social gatherings, and pretty much every other kind of social activity you can think of. America has turned into a society of eaters- eaters of high calorie, high sugar and high fat- and the results have produced obesity. So, what exactly is obesity? how can it be prevented? and what can be done to reduce it? “The Elephant in the room—pandemic obesity” by Kaye K. Gaines and “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating” by Mary Maxfield provide insight to these common questions regarding obesity.
Obesity is a chronic disease that can lead to other serious illness. Maxfield briefly touches that obesity can be a factor when it comes to “heart disease, diabetes, and cancer” (Maxfield). Gaines provides a deeper understanding of how dangerous obesity can be. In 2013, …show more content…

Extreme dieting may produce results, but they are often not lasting results. In order to achieve healthy goals, Maxfield suggest there must be a change in our daily habits. She argues that food is not inherently good or evil, but our lifestyle could be. Instead of cutting out foods that have been deemed by society as “unhealthy,” humans need to learn to trust their bodies to meet their needs (Maxfield). Goals to meet these expectations should be monitored by healthcare professionals(HCP). HCP can make an impact on their patients by “offering simple and concrete advice (start a realistic exercise program, eat at home ... not just "lose weight"), and emphasizing that even small changes can lead to big health gains” (Gaines). By making goals, setting plans and following up with their patients, HCP can contribute significantly in curing

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